A social science gateway in a shifting digital world: shaping SOSIG for users’ needs of the future

This paper considers two of the key challenges facing a mature UK subject gateway (SOSIG): the sustainability of a labour‐intensive service and innovation and evaluation needed to keep pace with user needs. SOSIG's history and changing contexts are sketched and issues of changing Internet search technologies, trends in user behaviour, and changes in higher education teaching or learning are analysed. Reflects on the “Google challenge” and the need to take a more strategic approach to engaging with the user community, given emerging audiences and technologies. Concludes with how SOSIG will be shaped for the future through collaboration, service design and user engagement.